Parasitic Plant Mystery in British Columbia: Pinesap or Something Else?

Parasitic Plant Mystery in British Columbia: Pinesap or Something Else?

A friend in BC, Canada, photographed a plant in a park. The expert initially thought it was a parasitic plant in the family Monotropaceae, probably pinesap, which attaches to roots of other plants or fungi.

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Follow-Up

The questioner noted that pinesap photos show no leaves, just flowers emerging from leaf litter, but their photo showed large outgrowths with multiple developing leaves on a shaft with small flowers, growing in wet, mountainous ground with pines and spruces.

Expert Next Steps

The expert sent the photo to the Native Plant Society of British Columbia with the description. They offered direct email (plantwhisperer@cox.net) for further communication and continued research.